Achievements of regional initiative on asset recovery in focus of OSCE briefing

On 19 November, the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) organized a technical briefing to discuss the impact of a regional project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use”. Through the cross-dimensional project, the OSCE Secretariat, in close co-operation with the field operations in the region, supports government beneficiaries and civil society organizations on the process of asset recovery, management, and re-use while promoting regional co-operation.

In her opening remarks, Alena Kupchyna, Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the Project. “The initiative succeeded in embodying and making use of our Organization’s biggest advantage, a comprehensive approach to security,” she said.

With the aim of enhancing the capacity of criminal justice practitioners in increasing the number of assets confiscated from organized crime, the project experts delivered specialized workshops, as well as conducted analysis on the application of the measures on asset seizure and confiscation.

The project has also enhanced regional co-operation by providing support to two co-operation mechanisms: the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network and the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors.

“Organized crime in its most dangerous expression is transnational. Therefore, it is essential for authorities to develop mechanisms that enable them to act against such threat in a quick and timely manner,” emphasized Igli Hasani, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, while reiterating the vital importance of the two networks.

In recognizing the importance of involving civil society in the prevention of and fight against organized crime, the initiative is building capacities of civil society organizations and policy makers on the social re-use of assets confiscated from organized crime. Recently, an apartment in Elbasan, Albania, was converted into a social enterprise for production of crafts where 21 women are employed and trained.

The extra-budgetary cross-dimensional project is funded by the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.